NYPD to road test electric scooters

Posted Thu, 2007-12-27 14:25 by Shawn

"Police working to keep the city safer will be trying to keep it greener too -- by testing an electric, ultra-quiet scooter.

"Four plug-in Vectrix scooters will be road tested starting early next month as the New York Police Department tries to become more environmentally friendly and reduce gasoline use in its massive motor fleet.

"The nation's largest police department already uses a handful of hybrid cars and so-called flex-fuel vehicles, which can run on both gasoline and ethanol."

Link to story: CNN

Vectrix scooters look pretty impressive, for a reasonable $11,000 MSRP.  One 2-hour charge would get me back and forth to work 1.5 times.  Here are the stats from Vetrix.com:

Performance Max Speed 62 mph / 100 km/h
Acceleration 0-50 mph (80 km/h) - 6.8 seconds
0-31 mph (50 km/h) - 3.6 seconds
Range 35-55 miles (55-90 km) per charge depending on speed
Braking Patented multi-function throttle (DAaRT) provides regenerative braking and slow-speed reverse
Front and rear Brembo disc brakes
Tires Pirelli: GTS23 120/70-14 (Front) and
GTS24 140/60 13 (Rear)
Fork Marzocchi Telescopic Fork
Suspension Sachs Twin Shocks
Battery Battery Type Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
Rated Battery Capacity 30 Ah, 3.7 kW-h
Rated Battery Voltage 125V
Charger 1.5kW on-board battery charger
Recharge Requirements 110V-220V (50/60Hz)
Recharge Time 2 hours (80% charge)
Battery Discharge Cycles 1,700 (80% charge)
Estimated Battery Life 10 years or 50,000 miles / 80,000 km
Motor & Gearbox Motor Type Brushless DC, radial air-gap motor
Peak Power 20 kW peak power at 3000 rpm
Max Current 275 Amps
Max Torque 65 Nm
Gearbox Integrated rear-wheel mounted planetary gear drive

Electronics Controller DSP & IGBT based all-digital electronic control and motor drive system
Instrumentation LCD¹s display speed, odometer, battery charge,, estimated range, and system status
Communications Controller Area Network (CAN)
Bluetooth wireless sytems diagnostics and communication
Dimensions Weight 462lb (210 kg)
Wheelbase 60" (1525 mm)
Seat Height 30" (770 mm)
Wheels Front - 14"
Rear - 13"
Storage Capacity Under seat storage for a full-faced helmet
Glove compartment
Other Frame Lightweight aluminum frame
Warranty 24 months
Emissions Zero
Retail Price $11,000, not including tax, registration, freight or delivery charges.

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